In the farming and grain industry, once grain such as corn or wheat is harvested in the field, it is frequently transported to a central gathering location commonly known as a grain elevator. The grain elevator complex generally has a vertical transport leg which transports grain from approximately ground level to a distributor, which feeds one or more gravity down chutes. The down chutes deliver the grain to a predetermined storage bin which holds the grain until transportation to a mill or other destination. During storage operations, millions of bushels of grain are transported through the down chutes. As a result of the significant friction generated between individual grain kernels and the grain chutes, holes eventually develop, causing grain to fall to the ground and be ruined or disrupt grain elevator operations.
Due to the elevated location of the grain chutes, it is impractical to attempt to repair the holes without the assistance of a crane or other similar expensive lift equipment to elevate a worker to the elevation of the hole in the grain chute. Furthermore, due to the often remote rural locations of grain elevators, and lack of crane availability, it may be days or weeks before equipment can become available to adequately repair a grain chute. These delays may prevent the immediate storage of harvested grain and the likelihood of waste or damage to the grain, thus causing significant expense.
Furthermore, current repair apparatus such as rubber, plastic and metallic patches which are tied, strapped or welded to the grain chutes around the hole are time consuming to install, expensive, and generally inefficient. Thus, a problem exists in the grain storage industry to provide an apparatus for quickly and efficiently repairing grain chutes and other types of grain transmission pipe, and which is constructed in a manner to prevent reoccurring holes and the need for subsequent repairs. Furthermore, a need exists to provide an apparatus for repairing a hole in grain pipe which can be positioned and actuated by one person from a remote location, without the assistance of a crane or other heavy lift equipment.